Radially deformable fastening member



March 10, 1970 J. 5. FRYE ETAL 3,499,358

RADIALLY DEFORMABLE FASTENING MEMBER Original Filed Dec. 22, 1966 INVENTOFf JO/M/ .5: F4? YE. 1444455 5. F053 United rates Patent @fitrce 3,499,358 Patented Mar. 10, 1970 U.S. Cl. 851 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A one-piece fastener for connecting together rigid elements including a tubular body portion permitting radial deformation within the elastic limit of the fastener to compensate for variances in the rigid elements.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE This is a division of application Ser. No. 605,144, filed Dec. 22, 1966, now Patent No. 3,410,588.

In building construction, it is common practice to place floor or ceiling joists on the upper surface of a sill or similar structural shape so that the weight of the floor is transmitted downwardly through the joist ono the supper surface of the sill. Since most of the force exerted from the floor is exerted downwardly from the floor, through the joist to the sill, the forces exerted by the joists to the sill are primarily compressive forces. In ceiling construction, the sill structure also primarily encounters compressive forces from the joists; however, forces exerted on the sides of the building by wind, and expansion and contraction of the building cause some working movement of the structural supports of the building so that some sliding or shearing or twisting motion between the building support elements is encountered. Thus, it is desirable to have the joists connected to the sill or other support structure in such a manner that relative movement therebetween is resisted. However, since the primary force encountered between these elements is primarily compressive force, the connection between these elements to resist the remaining forces need not be as strong.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a structural shape connector for connecting joists and the like to sills which resists relative movement between these elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a connector having interlocking parts for interconnection between the sill and joist elements of a building.

Another object of this invention is to provide a connec or for the sill and joist elements of a building wherein the movement of the joist with regard to the sill is resisted.

Another object of this invention is to provide a fastener for connecting structural shapes together, wherein the fastener is resilient and compensates for the movement between the structural shapes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a convenient, economical and firm connection between a joist and its support surface in a building.

Other objects, features ard advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the structural shape connector, showing the manner in which floor joists are connected to the sill structure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the internal bracket of the connector;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, in cross section, of the connector;

FIG. 4- is an elevational view, in cross section, of the fastener utilized with the connector.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the fastener of FIG, 4.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, in which like numerals indicate like parts, throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a channel beam having a base 11 and a pair of downwardly extending sides 12 and 13. External grooves 14 and 15 are defined in sides 12 and 13, adjacent base 11, and extend longitudinally of the exterior surface of beam 10. Base 11 is apertured at 16, at spaced intervals along its length. Channel beam 10 may be supported in any manner in the building construction in order to function as a sill or similar support piece.

An l-beam is positioned so that it rests on the upper surface of base 11 of the channel beam 10. I-beam 20 includes a central web 21 and upper and lower flanges 22 and 23. I-beam 20 is positioned so that it extends in a horizontal plane, in a direction disposed substantially at right angles to the direction in which the channel beam 10 extends. Near the end of I-beam 20 central web 21 defines an aperture 24 of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the apertures 16 in the channel beam 10.

Connector 25 extends between channel beam 10 and I-beam 20 and connects these elements to each other. Connector 25 comprises a pair of brackets, internal bracket 26 and external bracket 27. Internalbracket 26 includes a substantially flat base portion 29, a downwardly extending clip and an upwardly extending stem 31. Base portion 29 is generally rectangular in configuration, and clip 30 includes a downwardly extending leg 32 extending integrally from one edge of the base portion 29, and an inwardly turned tab 33 folded back toward and extending in a plane parallel to base portion 29. Base portion 29 defines an aperture 35 in its central portion, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the diameter of the apertures 16 of channel beam 10. A locking tab 36 is struck upwardly from the base portion 29 of internal bracket 26, to one side of a erture 35. Locking tab 36 includes a backwardly extending projection 37.

Stem 31 includes a sloped portion 39 extending at an upward angle from one edge of the base portion 29 and a connecting portion 40 extending upwardly from the sloped portion 39, at a right angle with respect to the base portion 29 of the bracket 26. Connecting portion 40 is centrally apertured at 41; the diameter of aperture 41 being approximately equal to the diameter of aperture 24 of I-beam 20.

External bracket 27 generally conforms in shape to internal bracket 26, and comprises base portion 49, clip and stem 51. Clip 50 includes a leg 52 extending downwardly from base portion 49, along one of its edges, and an inwardly turned tab 53 folded back toward and extending in a plane parallel to the base portion 49. Base portion 49 defines a central aperture 55 and a locking slot 55. Central aperture 55 is approximately equal in its diameter to that of central aperture 35 of internal bracket 26 and the apertures 16 defined in channel beam 10.

3 Locking slot 56 is slightly greater in length and width than locking tab 36 of internal bracket 26.

Stem 51 of external bracket 27 includes an upwardly sloped portion 59 extending upwardly from one edge of base portion 49 and a connecting portion 60 disposed substantially at a right angle with respect to base portion 49. Connecting portion 60 is centrally apertured at 61; the diameter of aperture 61 corresponding to that of apertures 41 and 24 of internal bracket 26 and I-beam 20, respectively.

As is best shown in FIG. 4, fasteners 62 are provided to connect the brackets 26 and 27 to each other and to channel beam and I-beam 20. Fastener 62 is fabricated of spring steel, or similar resilient material, and comprises a tubular, sleeve-like, body portion 64. An annular, outwardly extending flange 65 extends about one end of the body portion 64, and an annular, inwardly extending flange 66 extends about the opposite end of body portion 64. The outer perimeter of flange 65 is generally circular, and the inner perimeter of flange 66 defines a hexagonal opening 67 as shown in FIG. 5. The outer surface of body portion 64 is threaded with conventional helical screw threads of approximately four threads per turn. Body portion 64 is slightly tapered inwardly from flange 65 toward flange 66.

OPERATION When it is desired to connect I-beams to channel beams, as when connecting elements of this configuration to form joists of a floor or ceiling, the I-beams are positioned with their lower flanges 23 resting on the base 11 of a channel beam 10. Connectors 25 are connected to channel beam 10, adjacent each one of the I-beams 20. Connectors 25 are connected to channel beam 10 by first placing the lower surface of the base portion 29 of the internal bracket 26 in juxtaposition with the upper surface of base 11 of channel beam 10. This positions tab 33 of the internal bracket 26 into groove 15 of channel beam 10. External bracket 27 is then fitted over internal bracket 26 by allowing locking tab 36 of internal bracket 26 to slide through locking slot 56 of the external bracket 27. This places base portion 29 of external bracket 27 in juxtaposition with base portion 29 of the internal bracket 26. External bracket 27 is then moved in a lateral direction with respect to channel beam 10 so that its tab 53 engages groove 14 of the channel beam. Locking slot 56 is of suflicient width so as to accommodate this movement. External bracket 27 is then moved in a longitudinal direction as indicated by arrow 57 so as to align its central aperture 55 with that of internal bracket 26. Thus, backwardly extending projection 37 of internal bracket 27 projects over the edge of locking slot 56 of the external bracket so that internal and external brackets 26 and 27 are positively held together and onto base 11 of channel beam 10, and no pivotal movement or inadvertent motion of brackets 26 and 27 will function to allow these brackets to separate.

When internal and external brackets 26 and 27 are aligned as previously described, their stems 31 and 51 are placed in immediate juxtaposition, as is shown in FIG. 1, and their apertures 41 and 61 are aligned with each other. Of course, stem 51 of external bracket 27 is slightly smaller in its overall dimensions than stem 31 of internal bracket 26 so as to allow this mating of surfaces and apertures, while downwardly extending leg 52 of external bracket 27 is longer than downwardly extending leg 32 of internal bracket 26 to compensate for the additional thickness of the base portion 29 of internal bracket 26 being positioned between base portion 49 of external bracket 27 and channel beam 10.

After connector 25 has been assembled in this manner, the apertures and 55 of base portions 29 and 49 are aligned with one of the apertures 16 of channel beam 10 and a fastener 62 is threadedly engaged within the aligned apertures. Fastener 62 is rotatably urged into the aligned apertures, and the threads thereof engage the internal perimeters of the aligned apertures so as to pull the fastener 62 into the apertures.

After connector 25 is attached to channel beam 10, the I-beam 20 which is in its vicinity is moved toward the mated stems 31 and 51 so that aperture 24 of the central web 21 of the I-beam is aligned with the mated apertures 41 and 61 of stems 31 and 51. Since sloped portions 39 and 59 of stems 31 and 51 slope upwardly and outwardly of the base portions 29 and 49 of the brackets, the connecting portions 40 and 60 of stems 31 and 51 will be adjacent the central web 21 of I-beam 20. Thus, the leg of the lower flange 23 of I-beam 20 will extend below sloped portions 39 and 59 of stems 31 and 51, as is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. A fastener 62 is inserted through the aligned apertures 61, 41 and 24 of the brackets and I- beam.

Fasteners 62 are rotatable by means of any tool which has a rotatable hexagonal bit of the proper dimensions. A fastener 62 may be mounted on such a bit and rotated so that its external threads will engage the inner perimeter of the aligned apertures. In instances where it is convenient to rotate a fastener 62 from the remote side of the structural shape, the fastener may be aligned With the apertures, and the hexagonal bit inserted through the apertures from the remote side of the shape and fitted into the hexagonal opening 67. Of course, with this arrangement, the bit must be rotated in the opposite direction.

It is anticipated that the channel beam 10, I-beam 20, connector 27 and fastener 62 may be fabricated of any number of metals; however, it is anticipated that the most practical combination of these elements would be with the channel beam, I-beam and connector being fabricated of aluminum and the fastener 62 being fabriacted of spr ng steel. With this combination of materials, the threads of the fasteners 62 would function to dig into the inner perimeter of the aligned apertures of the connector and its adjacent beam. Also, the resiliency of the spring steel fastener would be such that if the apertures of the elements were not perfectly aligned, the fastener, being deformable, could compensate for the misalignment. Furthermore, after the beams have been connected to each other as disclosed, any working or relative movement between the beams, such as expansion and contraction of the building or slight movement of the building due to wind pressure, will be compensated for by the resiliency of the fastener 62 without any appreciable loosening of or damage to the beams or connector 25. Thus, it can be seen that connector 25 functions to expediently interconnect the beams of a building while the fastener 62 functions to allow slight movement of the beams with each other. Also, the configuration of the clips 30 and 50 of brackets 26 and 27 prevent any significant lateral movement of I beams 20 with channel beam 10.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof.

We claim:

1. A one-piece deformable fastening member fabricated of spring steel for connecting together rigid elements comprising:

a tubular body portion terminating at one end in a radially outwardly extending flange and at its other end in a radially inwardly extending flange, the exterior surface of said tubular body portion includ ing helical threads, the interior surface thereof defining a smooth, cylindrical surface, and said inwardly extending flange defining a multi-sided tool receiving opening, the walls defining said tubular body portion being sufficiently thin and resilient to permit radial deformation thereof within the elastic limit of said walls to compensate for variances in the rigid elements.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the exterior sur- 6 face of said tubular body portion is inwardly tapered 2,051,066 8/1936 Anderson 85-1X from the outwardly extending flange toward its inwardly 3,044,584 7/1962 Thompson 85-1 X extending flange.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the opening de- FOREIGN PATENTS fined by said inwardly extending flange is hexagonal. 716,817 8/1965 Canada- 5 640,451 7/ 1950 Great Britain.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS RAMON S. BRITTS, Prlmary Exammer 1,982,488 11/1934 Weber l5l41.73X US. Cl. X.R.

2,002,741 5/1935 Hunt 151-4l.73X 10 8545;15114 

